Pupils at Ballynahinch Primary School and Nursery Unit are enjoying a revitalised outdoor play area, thanks to a partnership between Ballynahinch Men’s Shed and the Housing Executive.
Members of the Men’s Shed transformed the school’s underused walled garden, designing and building a wooden pergola and round picnic table for pupils to enjoy, and covering a steep slope with vibrant raised beds.
The project was funded by the Housing Executive through a £5000 Community Grant.
John Anderson, Principal at Ballynahinch Primary School, said: “Spending time outdoors is an important way to support children’s wellbeing and resilience.
“Thanks to the hard work of the Men’s Shed over the last year and support from the Housing Executive and Ballynahinch Community Collective, families are more connected to each other, with opportunities to learn about food through our grow your own workshops.
“Building on our previous environmental work such as forest school and tree planting, our sensory garden will be a welcoming space for the people of Ballynahinch for years to come.”
With a new polytunnel in the school grounds, students and parents are learning how to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs.
Ballynahinch Community Collective volunteers are helping maintain the garden and have assisted children to grow strawberries, lupins and oregano to sell at the school’s summer fair.
With support from the Housing Executive, work was also carried out to restore the school’s pond.
Gareth Morgan, Team Leader at the Housing Executive, said: “This has been a really positive project to support, and it’s great to see the space now being enjoyed by the school and local families.
“We’re very grateful to the volunteers who have put in so much time and effort to bring the garden to life.”
Karl Stafford, Chair of Ballynahinch Men’s Shed, added: “We’re delighted that the new sensory garden is providing a safe outdoor space for children in the community to play and learn together.
“It’s been a fantastic partnership and we’re really pleased to have delivered something positive for families in Ballynahinch.”
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Photo captions:
3 – Pergola: Community effort: At the new pergola in the sensory garden are (L-R) P7 teacher Anne McCracken with pupils Autumn, Matt, Evie and Isla Rose from the school’s eco warrior committee; Ballynahinch Men’s Shed members who designed and constructed the pergola, picnic table and raised beds; Gareth Morgan, Housing Executive Team Leader, and pupils Robyn, Lily and Mollie.
1-polytunnel: Green fingers: Ballynahinch Community Collective volunteers have assisted children to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs to sell at the school’s summer fair. The polytunnel was funded by the Housing Executive through a £5000 Community Grant. L-R: Gareth Morgan, Housing Executive Team Leader; Patricia Barerra, Ballynahinch Community Collective, with P7 pupils Robyn, Matt, Mollie and Lily.
Mucking in: Children from Ballynahinch Primary School’s Eco Warrior Committee help plant shrubs and flowers in the new raised beds, which were built by Ballynahinch Men’s Shed as part of a project funded by the Housing Executive. Children were assisted by staff from Blue Cedar Garden Centre in Ballynahinch, who sourced the plants.
Picture 3: Working hard: Men’s Shed volunteers begin work on the pergola, constructing a wooden frame to mark where it will be located in Ballynahinch Primary School’s garden, as part of a project funded by the Housing Executive
6: Lasting legacy: As part of its environmental work, every family at Ballynahinch Primary School planted a tree in the school grounds, bringing back past generations of pupils, strengthening intergenerational ties and creating a lasting legacy.
2: How does your garden grow: Ballynahinch Community Collective volunteers have assisted children to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs to sell at the school’s summer fair. The polytunnel was funded by the Housing Executive through a £5000 Community Grant.
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